Fran made her way slowly out of the doctor's office following her appointment. It was devastating to hear what he had to say. She hadn't planned on having kids right away, but she always wanted to start a family. It had been one of her greatest wishes to have kids, but now that hope had been cruelly dashed. She held her stomach as her tears began. Theo came up behind her and held her closely.
"Fran, talk to me." He implored her, kissing her gently. He had always been a family-minded guy. Despite not getting on well with Luen for all those years, family was always one of the most important things in the world to him. He had dreamed of having children with Fran almost as long as they'd been together. She turned in towards him, burying her face in his chest and wept.
"We'll get through this." He assured her, stroking her hair reassuringly. "We'll be fine."
"He's taken everything from me." She whimpered, holding him tightly. "I hate him Theo, he's ruined everything."
"Fran, there's still a chance." He reminded her. "The doctor just said it might be harder for us to conceive."
"He said it would be almost impossible." She said, pulling away from him a little. "He warned us it might never happen."
"Fran, you can't think like that." Theo told her, trying to look into her eyes. "We have to keep up hope."
She just kept looking away from him. She had never felt so worthless in all her life. It was like she wasn't even a woman anymore. She was empty inside. She was lost in her despair.
"I'll understand if you want out." She muttered under her breath. Theo just looked at her a little hurt by her statement. "If you want to leave I'll understand."
"Fran, you can't possibly think that's what I want." He remarked, feeling his own sadness come over him. "Fran, I'm not going to leave you. I love you."
"I know how much you wanted kids." She stated, turning from him. "I'll never be able to give you that. You deserve someone better than me. You deserve a real woman..."
"Fran, please stop talking like that." He pleaded with her, realising the true extent of her torment. He knew it was important to her to start a family. "Sure I want kids, but even if it never happens, I didn't marry you, fall in love with you to have kids. I married you because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"You say that now, but it'll only be a matter of time." She replied, looking to her feet. "I know you'll only grow to resent me."
"Fran, like I said, I married you for better and for worse." He told her, cupping her cheek with his hand and lifting her face to look into her eyes. "Besides, the doctor didn't say we could never have kids. He said it was less likely you'd fall pregnant, but it isn't impossible."
Fran smiled a little. Theo had stood by her through so much. She knew that if he felt even half of her disappointment, then he'd be devastated, but he wanted to stick by her.
"At least we know this now and can deal with it." He assured her. "There are other options, things we can do to increase our chances."
"But..."
"If nothing else, the only thing that makes a family is love." He stated. "There are plenty of kids out there who are desperate for a loving home."
"You would think of adoption?" She asked him. Theo just smiled at her and kissed her cheek.
"I want to have a family with you Fran. Who cares if the kid doesn't have my blood in its veins?" He replied warmly, putting his arm around her. Fran put her arm around his waist and pulled into him as they left.
"There's no point in upsetting ourselves over this right now." He told her, squeezing her as he tried to lift her spirits. "If I remember rightly we still have your exam results to celebrate."
Fran wasn't really in the mood to celebrate, but she knew Theo was only trying to cheer her up. She nodded and followed on as he led her from the hospital. It still pained her to think that she might never be able to give Theo the family they both wanted so dearly, but she knew that he was standing by her, and that meant more to her than anything.
Chip and Daggeron came back into the Rock Porium, finding the stock had been delivered and was already stacked on the shelves. They knew Xander couldn't possibly have accomplished that by now without magic, but their warnings would fall on deaf ears. He came into the room with RJ, wolfing down a slice of pizza.
"Chip, you should try this." He told him, gesturing to the pizza. "It's called a Thrilla Gorilla, it's got bananas. It's amazing!"
"Always pleased to know my recipes are appreciated." RJ told him, holding up a bag full of CDs. "Thanks for this; these should keep us going for quite some time."
"No problems RJ." He replied. "Thanks for the pizza."
"I always like to seal business over a fresh pizza." He told him warmly. It was only then that he noticed Daggeron. "Oh, I take it you're a friend of Xander and Chip's. I'm RJ."
"Dag...er...David." He replied, shaking RJ's hand. He knew that Daggeron was hardly a common name, and so adopted a pseudonym. "Pleased to meet you."
"Welcome to Ocean Bluff." RJ greeted him. "I'm sure you'll love it here. Anyway, I'll catch you guys later."
With that, he left, heading back to Jungle Karma. He knew Lily would be waiting for him, and they still had a few little things left to do before opening the restaurant the following day. He just wished he could figure out how Xander could set up the store so quickly.
"You will not believe what happened today." Chip said excitedly as he grabbed a slice of pizza from the box in Xander's hand. "We met a Pai Zhuq master!"
"Seriously?" Xander asked him. Daggeron nodded to confirm the detail.
"We stumbled across him in the woods while we were training." He told the Green Ranger. "We knew the temple was out here somewhere, and we knew that the latest Power Rangers were Pai Zhuq, so we've now met at least one of them."
"I guess it was kind of inevitable." Xander replied. "I mean look at that little job I did for Dr. Hartford. We Rangers seem to make a habit of running into each other."
"So did V call when I was out?" Chip asked him. Xander just groaned. He knew that it wasn't Vida he was really asking about. If she wanted to call Chip, she'd just call his cell phone. He was as subtle as a sledgehammer on that count. He was wondering if Maddie had called.
"Leave it alone Chip." He warned him, getting up and leaving the room, leaving the pizza behind.
"It must be serious." Daggeron stated, taking a slice. "He left most of the pizza."
"I really wish Maddie would come around." Chip sighed. "V said she'd talk to her. It's bad enough she's still moping over Nick, but now that Xander's not around..."
"She's not getting the same support." Daggeron interrupted. "Maybe she'll realise what she had now that it's gone."
"I really hope so." Chip answered through a mouthful of pizza. "It's not healthy the way she's obsessing over Nick."
"Your girlfriend's stubborn; she's not to be denied when she has an idea in her head." Daggeron reminded him. "Especially when it comes to her sister. She wants to see her get over Nick the same as you. She knows Xander would be good for her."
"She is a hell cat when she gets going." Chip said with a smile. "I miss her."
"You should invite her to visit." Daggeron suggested. "I know they won't be able to stay long, but maybe a change of scenery will help Maddie."
"Getting her away from the blanket you mean?" Chip asked.
"Great minds think alike young knight." He replied.
When RJ came back to JKP, he found Master Phant sitting with Lily, talking with her. He waved RJ over as he saw him.
"Hello, I was just catching up with my favourite student." Master Phant greeted him as he arrived.
"What happened?" RJ asked, noting a few fresh bruises.
"Oh, I had a little sparring session earlier." He said, waving off his friend's concern.
"Gabby did that?" He asked the Elephant master. He couldn't believe she had progressed so quickly.
"No, I found a new sparring partner." He informed them. "It seems there's a Mystic Knight and his apprentice in town. It's been such a long time since I had the opportunity to spar with a knight, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity."
"A Mystic Knight?" RJ asked. "Wow, it has been a long time since the Mystics and the Pai Zhuq crossed paths."
"Maybe we'll see more of them." Lily stated. "I really hope so. It would be so cool to meet real wizards."
Meanwhile, Casey was finishing up with one of his classes in the gym. He looked up, as his students left, seeing Xander walk in.
"Hey there." He greeted him. "Can I help you?"
"I'm kind of new in town." He answered, looking around. "Since I'm going to be staying I was looking for a gym membership."
Casey noted the accent and made the connection. RJ and Lily had told him that the guy who came to open the new record store was Australian.
"You're the one opening the record store aren't you?" He asked, showing him over to a desk. Xander nodded in response. "I heard you already met my friends RJ and Lily."
"They dropped around to talk business." He replied. "I've got to admit, this is some place."
"It helps having a generous benefactor." Casey replied. "So, you're planning to stay I hear."
"There isn't really much for me back in Briarwood." He sighed, thinking about the situation he'd left behind. "I just want a basic membership."
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to take on some of our classes?" Casey asked, looking out the membership forms. "A lot of people like some of the Martial Arts lessons."
"I'm good thanks." He replied. "As long as I get access to the machines and a nice hot shower, then I'll be happy."
"Well I can manage that much." Casey replied, handing over the forms. "Just fill that out and bring it back when you get a chance. In the meantime, everyone gets one free session. Do you have your gear?"
"I always come prepared." He replied, lifting his training bag. "Are the changing rooms in the back?"
"They are." Casey answered him. "Enjoy."
With that, Xander headed off to the changing rooms to get ready. He had a feeling that moving here wasn't going to be that bad a move after all.
Theo made his way to the restaurant. Fran had promised that she would help Lily with the last of the arrangements for tomorrow's grand re-opening, but all things considered she wasn't in the mood, so Theo went in her place. Thinking about it, he figured that it was probably best she didn't see Lily today anyway. He had a feeling that it would just be an uncomfortable reminder of her terrible news.
"Hey T, how are you?" She asked him, seeing him come in. "I thought Fran was coming."
"She's had kind of a rough day." He sighed as he took off his jacket. He figured that he had to tell her. "We were at the hospital earlier."
"Is everything alright?" She asked him.
"I wish it was." He told her. "Fran found out that her dad's abuse cased some damage to her uterus. It's going to make it a lot harder for her to have children."
"Oh my God, T I'm so sorry." She gasped, hearing of her friend's plight. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Not really, the damage is already done." He told her sadly. Lily looked at him sympathetically. She could see how much the news had affected him. She couldn't imagine what she'd feel if she had to face that situation herself. "She's really upset about it all."
"Look, forget this." She told him, handing him his jacket. "Fran needs you, RJ and I can deal with this."
"Thanks Lily." He replied, putting his jacket back on. "I really appreciate the support."
"Tell Fran I'll call." She told him as he left. She couldn't believe the news she'd heard. It wasn't fair that this had happened to her. Fran was one of the kindest, most caring people she'd ever met. It wasn't fair that this had happened. She couldn't help her tears beginning as she thought about her what had happened. She loved the baby dearly; she couldn't imagine what it would be like if she had been told that she might not have children.
Outside, a couple of guys in ski masks watched Theo leaving. They quickly grabbed guns and headed for the restaurant, forcing open the door. Lily watched in horror as one of them levelled a gun in her direction.
"Open the safe!" He demanded. Lily felt her heart racing as she watched them come inside. She couldn't morph without revealing her identity, and she couldn't risk confronting them in case anything happened to the baby.
"There's not much there." She told them as she opened the register and began gathering the cash. She wished RJ was there, but he had gone to collect party supplies for the reopening. "We're still closed. We haven't been to the bank..."
"Get the safe." He demanded of her, flicking the gun in the direction of the door. Lily dutifully made her way towards the door into the back room. Just then, lightning flashed through the door, taking down two of the assailants. The third looked around to see the Yellow Mystic Force Ranger standing in the door. Chip had been passing, and had seen them go in. Lily looked on, thankful for his timely arrival.
"It isn't nice to wave guns around." He reprimanded the thief, taking him down with another lightning bolt. He looked over, seeing a very relieved Lily staring at him. "Are you alright Miss?"
"I'm fine." She finally managed to say. She came over to him observing him with a smile. It had occurred to her as a pretty big coincidence that one of the Mystic Force Rangers showed up in Ocean Bluff around the same time as three strangers from Briarwood had just rolled into town. Seeing the crooks were all safely unconscious, she looked up at him. "So are you Chip or Xander?"
"Excuse me?" He stammered, unable to believe she had figured it out. Lily pulled up her sleeve, showing her Master's Stripes. "You?"
"We have a shared history it seems." She told him. "And a shared colour."
"You were a Power Ranger?" He asked as he de-morphed, revealing his identity. Lily nodded.
"I guess I got to meet a wizard after all." She replied as she picked up the phone. "We can talk about this more once the cops have taken care of these guys. Thanks for the help."
"Well I'm glad I could help." He told her. "Of course if it wasn't for the baby I know you'd have taken these guys apart yourself."
"Trust me; I'm just glad that no one got hurt." She replied as RJ arrived, looking around.
"What happened?" He asked her. "Lily are you alright?"
"I'm fine RJ, thanks to Chip." She told him as she hugged him for comfort, finally able to calm herself after the ordeal. "It looks like we found out who the Mystic is that Master Phant met in the woods."
"Daggeron and I did meet someone in the woods." He confirmed. "Daggeron is David's real name. Xander was a Ranger too."
"Well we're going to have to catch up later." RJ replied, gesturing to the fallen crooks. "First, we should probably get rid of these guys."
Meanwhile in Briarwood, Vida was finishing packing her bag. When Chip had called earlier and asked her to visit him, it didn't take her long to make the decision. She missed Chip terribly since he had left, even though he only had been gone a couple of days. She closed the case, looking around to see Maddie coming into the room.
"So are you done packing?" She asked her sister. Maddie nodded wordlessly.
"Why are we going again?" She asked her.
"I thought you'd want to see them again." Vida replied. "It'll be good to get out of town for a while."
"I don't really feel like it." She complained. "I mean Toby..."
"Leelee and Phineas are here to help Toby." She reminded her. "Look, it'll be great to see how they've done setting up the new store."
Maddie picked up her bag, preparing to head out the door, but Vida looked at her a little suspiciously. She took the bag off her, opening it and pulling out Nick's blanket.
"Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Vida asked her.
"I like keeping it around." She sighed, realising she had been busted. Vida had tried, unsuccessfully, to get her to get rid of the blanket a number of times. It wasn't healthy the way she kept it around. It was like a constant reminder of Nick. She still hadn't been able to move on. She hated what he had done to her.
"Maddie, you have to let go." She reminded her. "If you meant as much to him as he did to you, he'd have come back before now."
The former Blue Ranger looked to her feet. She hated the way the others kept talking about Nick. Despite how much it hurt, she still couldn't give up the hope that he'd come back to her one day. Vida folded the blanket carefully and laid it on the couch.
"Look, it'll be here when you get back." She promised her sister. "Now, what do you say we make tracks?"
Maddie just nodded and closed her bag. It was pointless to argue with Vida when she got an idea in her head. She knew her sister was only trying to help, and although she resented the fact that she continued to bad-mouth Nick, she knew she had her best interests at heart. It wasn't like she was asking her to move to Ocean Bluff permanently. She hated leaving the blanket behind, Nick had entrusted it to her, but she knew Vida wouldn't let her take it with her. Like she said, it would still be there when she got back.
"I guess I do miss Xander." She sighed. "I can't believe he just left like that."
"Well you'll get to see him again soon." Vida reminded her, putting an arm around her and leading her from the apartment. "Ocean Bluff, here we come!"